


This World of Ours

by Heather



Category: due South
Genre: DSSS Treat, Domestic Bliss, Fatherhood, Gen, Kid Fic, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-06 14:10:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heather/pseuds/Heather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tiny moment in the Fraser-Vecchio-Kowalski household.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This World of Ours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Seascribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seascribe/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Call This World Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/995627) by [Seascribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seascribe/pseuds/Seascribe). 



> This is a sequel of sorts- a coda, really- to Seascribe's excellent fic, "Call This World Home." I recommend reading it first, not only because it is brilliant, but so that you know everything that's going on.
> 
> For Sea, who wanted F/K/V kidfic or domestic fic, and who has been a part of making my fannish life a little brighter this year. Happy New Year.

"Over, under, over, under," Kowalski repeats for the third time, his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth while he stares in concentration that'd look less out of place if he were dismantling a bomb. "C'mon- over, under, over, under, how hard can it be? I can transplant a carbuerator, I can do this." 

"Ray," Fraser begins, looking on with such a desperate desire to help that Ray wants to laugh. "Perhaps if I--"

Kowalski holds up one finger to silence him. "Shut up! I can do it!" 

"Think you can do it before she misses the bus and the whole day?" Ray asks. "'Cause we're on a time limit here, in case you forgot." He shakes his head and gives his daughter an apologetic look. "Sorry, kiddo." 

Lucia sighs with the patience of a saint. "'Sokay, Daddy," she says, and it's all Ray can do not to grab her and hug her and never let go. Five years old and she's already more grown up than half the dummies responsible for raising her. Kowalski's been trying to braid her hair for more than twenty minutes now, and not once has she let out a peep over this incompetent handling. She's tougher than Ray had ever expected her to turn out to be. He knew if Kowalski was in charge of _his_ hair and doing this badly at it, he'd probably be in tears. 

"Really, Ray," Fraser tries again, and Ray wishes him luck with getting anywhere with reasonableness when Kowalski's already this far down the I Can Raise A Girl, You Think I Can't, Watch Me warpath. "If you would allow me to assist you--" 

"Negative, Fraser," Kowalski snaps. "You and Vecchio picked the dress, I get the pigtails. We agreed." 

"Yeah, but when we agreed, we thought you had some kind of idea of what you were doing," Ray says, grinning at him with the exact amount of teeth to keep Kowalski from trying to punch him. "You know, what with you being a total liar who said he'd done this before and all, it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion." 

"I can braid," Kowalski insists. "I got nieces! I've done it before!" 

"Ray, if I may point this out, your niece is currently twenty-three," Fraser says, rubbing his eyebrow in a way that suggests he's getting a splitting headache. 

"So?" Kowalski asks. "What're you sayin' to me, Fraser?" 

"He's saying you haven't done this in eighteen years," Ray says. "And we don't got time for you to try to re-learn it when Lucy's got to be at her first day of school in half an hour." 

Kowalski turns a pleading look on, of all people, the kid. "Will you tell them I got this, please?" 

Lucia puffs up her cheeks and purses her lips, like she's thinking really hard about how to let Kowalski down easy. Her eyes are pointed directly at the ceiling and going side to side, like she's trying to look anywhere but at him. 

"Luce," Kowalski says, sounding betrayed. 

Lucia sighs again, her little body sagging with it, and she rocks back and forth on her toes, antsy-like. "It's taking _a long time,_ " she says. Ray tries hard not to laugh, but it's even harder when Fraser's looking like he wants to, too. They exchange pained looks over Kowalski and Lucia's heads, and Fraser covers his mouth with his fist, as if any second now, he's gonna lose it. 

Kowalski drops her hair to put his hands over his heart, as if he's been stabbed. "Luce," he says, and oh yeah, there's the little bit of whine to it that makes Ray want to kick him. "Do you not think I can do this?" 

Lucia has a momentary look of torture- she loves Kowalski, and doesn't want to let him down- that gives way to exasperation, because she's been crossing off calendar days with red X's in Magic Marker since August, she's been looking forward to kindergarten for so long. "It's taking a _really_ long time," she says, squirming on the spot in a way that's very reminiscent of the lug she's trying to literally get out of her hair. 

Kowalski makes a face. He's a sucker for Lucy looking at him with any kind of displeasure. "Fine, you traitorous little runt," he says, tickling her up and down her sides so that she bursts into giggles and starts wiggling around so hard Ray's almost afraid she'll fall over. "See if I ever make you pancakes again." 

"Fat chance," Ray says. "Pancakes are the only kid-friendly thing you know how to cook." 

"I'm not talking to you," Kowalski says, giving him a smug little smile. "You're conspirating to deprive me of my parental duties." 

"Get better at 'em, and you can do them all you want," Ray says. He reaches over to Lucia's toy box and extracts one of the many naked Barbie dolls, an item of which Lucia is starting to build an impressive collection. Ray knows that the Barbies have clothes, since every one of them came with an outfit, and Lucia gets new doll clothes practically every weekend. But somehow, the clothes just don't accumulate in the same way the dolls do. He holds the Barbie out to Kowalski. "Practice on this, maybe you can have pigtails tomorrow." 

Kowalski looks affronted, and like he's planning to say some things to Ray that he probably shouldn't say in front of Lucy, when Fraser steps in. "If I may?" he asks. 

Kowalski rolls his eyes and steps back. "Fine, maestro, all yours." 

Fraser accomplishes the braids in less than a minute, and Ray wants to laugh at Kowalski's expression when he sees that they're French braids, to boot. 

"It just isn't fair," Kowalski says, shaking his head at the injustice of the universe. 

"It's perfectly fair," Fraser says. "Since Lucia's properly prepared for the day, you're now free to pursue other household tasks- for instance, making the pancakes you're so talented at. That is, if you aren't still intending to refuse to." 

The promise of Kowalski pancakes causes Lucia's eyes to bug out like a hungry puppy's, and for a moment, Ray's sure that if she had a tail, she'd be wagging it right now. It takes all of five seconds for Kowalski to cave to the look, and he drops his hand on top of Lucy's head so he doesn't have to look at her. "Fine," he says. "I'm on it, I'm on it. C'mon, squirt." He picks Lucia up and slings her over his shoulder and carries her to the kitchen, Lucy giggling all the way. 

Ray chuckles. "Sucker," he says. 

Fraser smiles. "He is rather susceptible to Lucia's whims." 

"He'll spoil her rotten all by himself if we're not careful," Ray says. 

Fraser gives Ray a look that says, _Really? You're saying that? **You?**_

Ray gives a put-upon sigh. "Fine, fine, we're both guilty of a certain weakness for little girl puppy eyes, and you're the last bastion of discipline and order in her life and we'd all be dead without you. Happy?" 

Fraser reaches over to touch Ray's face, and geez, you'd think after five years, Fraser's fingers on his cheek and that look in his eyes wouldn't still reduce Ray to putty, but it hasn't hit its expiration date yet. "Very," Fraser says. 

Ray can feel thoughts he shouldn't be having this early in the morning- especially not when Lucy's awake, and most especially not when they have to see her off to school in less time than he'd have to do what he's imagining- bubbling to life in the back of his head and he does his best to shake them off. "Think he's really gonna practice on that Barbie's hair?" 

"Absolutely," Fraser says. "He took it with him." 

Ray busts up laughing and rubs Fraser's shoulder- a promise, for later. "C'mon, let's go eat." 

Kowalski's already well into the pancakes, and is busy at the part that makes Lucia like his breakfasts best of all of their cooking: making them shaped like dinosaurs. He flips a golden brown T-Rex onto her plate with a flourish that makes Ray want to laugh some more before he presents it to her. 

"There ya go, princess," Kowalski says. "Don't say I never did anything for you." 

Lucia doesn't even wait for Fraser to get the syrup before she starts wolfing it down way, way too fast. 

"Hey, slow down," Ray says. "No points for choking, kiddo." 

"'S good," Lucia says, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster's. 

"Not with your mouth full, please," Fraser says. 

With some effort, Lucia swallows. "It's good," she says again. 

"And the proper response is...?" Fraser prompts. 

"Thank you," Lucia sighs, rolling her eyes like manners are boring. 

"You're welcome, rugrat," Kowalski says, ruffling her hair. "Have a good day on me, okay?" 

"Thanks," she says, sounding a lot more sincere this time, which doesn't exactly surprise Ray, since she's a lot better at the formalities when Fraser's not reminding her to do them. Jesus, she's growing up. Ray's never been exactly prone to the stereotypical dad sentiments- can't be, really, in the life they've made- but this is one that gets him where he lives. He never thought his baby would grow up this quickly. 

A honking from the driveway gets his attention before he can go any further down Maudlin Lane, and he stands up to pull out his daughter's chair for her. "That's your cue, kiddo," he says. 

Lucia scrambles out of her chair and starts to bolt for the door. Fraser's already handing her her backpack while Kowalski folds up her nap mat and holds it out for her to take. 

"I love you!" Lucia yells, not stopping to look at any of them as she takes her things and keeps running for the bus. "Bye!" 

"Bye," Ray calls after her. "Be good!" 

"Try to get along with the other children," Fraser adds. 

"Unless one of 'em's a jerk, then try to poke 'em in the eye when the teacher's not looking!" Kowalski calls. Ray smacks his arm while Fraser gives him a disapproving look. 

"I will!" Lucia says, because of course she'll take the advice that'll get him a note home on the first day. "Bye!" The door slams shut behind her, and Ray finds himself running to the kitchen window to watch her get on the bus and out of his reach. He doesn't even realize he's got a death grip on the windowsill until Kowalski's prying his hands off of it. 

"She's gonna be fine," Kowalski says. "Really. Relax, Vecchio." 

"Easy for you to say," Ray says. "She listens to you." 

"Yeah, well," Kowalski says, shrugging. "I give good advice." 

Ray laughs and shoves a little at him. "Yeah, right." 

He still feels a little anxious, though, and a little bereft. His daughter's grown up enough to be gone for the whole day. He feels like he won't even know what to do with himself without her here. 

But then Fraser's arm is around his shoulder, and Kowalski's is around his waist, and he's getting kissed on both of his temples at the same time, and he lets out a little sigh. 

"Hey," Kowalski says, "you realize we've got a kid-free house for the next seven hours?" 

"Barring accident or injury, of course," Fraser says, but when they both turn glares on him, he clears his throat and says, "But yes, we do seem to be alone for the day." 

Ray guesses he can think of a few things he can do while she's gone.


End file.
